Graffiti

Nick Berg’s father has been speaking out against the Department of Defense. It’s sad that he is criticizing the government, the entity that should have been protecting his son; it’s sad because the government should be seen as our protectors, particularly overseas. It doesn’t bode well for the country when the government is seen as contributing to American deaths internationally. The critique won’t get much traction, but I wanted to give my sympathies to the family for the loss of their son and their sense of betrayal. (Background pieces on Nick Berg in US Custody.) Aside: The video broadcast talking…

Since Haroon asked: http://www.columbia.edu/cu/news/05/09/columbia_katrina.html Columbia Extends Sympathy and Assistance to Hurricane Katrina Victims The Columbia community is deeply saddened by the magnitude of the pain and suffering that has resulted from Hurricane Katrina. We join the rest of the nation in seeking ways to aid those in need. The University would also like to express its deep appreciation of the extraordinary response efforts by volunteers, state and local government agencies and relief organizations. We in New York City know deeply and personally how difficult and painful a disaster of this magnitude is for the individuals and families experiencing it. As…

Last month the U.S. government canceled a visa that it had granted to Tariq Ramadan, a Muslim scholar in Switzerland. The visa, which had been approved in March and would have allowed him to accept a tenured professorship at the University of Notre Dame, was revoked at the request of the Homeland Security Department. No explanation has been given, but a department spokesman cited “public-safety or national-security risks” as the usual reasons for such an action. Tariq Ramadan, 42, is a professor of Islamic studies and philosophy at the University of Fribourg, in Switzerland. He will respond to questions and…